13. I think it worth while to here plunge into the story of our dear brother Martin, whose memory is sweet to me. You have heard the story, but may not perhaps remember it. He was a Cardinal Presbyter,1 and for some time was Legate in Dacia, but returned so poor that with his money almost gone, and the horses nearly worn out, he could scarcely reach Florence. There the bishop of the place gave him a horse, on which he rode as far as Pisa, where we happened to be at the time. The next day, I think it was, the bishop, who had a lawsuit pending, with the day of hearing rapidly approaching, followed Martin, and began to solicit the votes of his friends. One by one their support had been solicited, and then came Martin's turn. The bishop relied more upon him, because he could not be unmindful of the recent act of kindness. Martin thus replied: 'You have deceived me. I did not know that this business was so close. Take your horse: there it is in the stable.' And that very hour he gave it up to him. What say you to that, my dear Eugenius? To think of a legate returning from a land of gold without gold! Does it not sound like news from another world? To think of his passing through a land of silver, and not know silver! Above all, to have at once rejected a gift which might not have been free from suspicion!
14. But oh! how glad I am here to have an opportunity of reviving the memory of a man who bears a name of sweetest fragrance. I mean Gaufrid, Bishop of Carnotes, who for many years, at his own expense, vigorously conducted an embassy churches, where baptism might be administered, which were therefore called Ecclesiae vel Tituli Cardinales. Stillingfleet was of opinion that they were the chief Presbyters 'in large and populous cities . . . chosen out from the rest, to be as the Bishop's Council', and were therefore called Cardinales Presbyteri. See Bingham, Antiq. I, p. 276. 'As the name of "pope" or "papa" was originally common to all bishops, so the chief presbyters and deacons of any church to which a cure of souls was attached were apt to have the term "Cardinal" applied to them by way of distinction long before it was applied to the presbyters and deacons of the parish churches of Rome in particular' (Dict. Christ. Antiq., s. v. 'Cardinal'). There were twenty-eight chief parish churches in the city. in Aquitania. What I speak of, I saw myself. I was with him in that country when a certain priest presented him with a fish generally called a sturgeon. The legate inquired how much it would fetch. ‘I cannot’, said he, ‘accept it unless you receive the value’; and he paid the would-be donor, reluctant and blushing to take the money, five gold pieces. On another occasion, when we were in a certain town, a lady of the place devoutly offered him, together with a towel, two or three dessert-dishes, of beautiful workmanship, but made of wood. The man of tender conscience gazed at them for some time, and praised them, but he would not accept them. Was he likely ever to receive silver dishes after refusing wooden ones? Nobody could say to the legate, ‘We have made Abraham rich.’2 But he, like Samuel, was thus speaking freely to all: ‘Witness against me before the Lord, and before his anointed: whose ox have I taken? or whose ass have I taken? whom have I defrauded? whom have I oppressed? or of whose hand have I taken a bribe? and I will this day despise it, and I will restore it to you.’3 Oh! that there were given to us plenty of men such as these we have glanced at. You would be the happiest man in the world, and the age the most delightful. Would not the blessedness of those times seem to you only next to the joys of eternity, when, wherever you turned, you saw yourself surrounded on all sides with so glorious a band of the blessed?
15. If I know you, you are perplexed; you sigh deeply and say to yourself, ‘Do you suppose that is ever likely to come to pass?’ Your thoughts run thus—‘Our present position is plain enough. How far is what you tell me possible? May I live and have the good fortune of seeing it accomplished! Oh! that I might be spared to behold the Church of God supported by such pillars! Oh! if I might see my Lord's spouse in the keeping of such fidelity, entrusted to such purity! How blessed would be my lot! how safe! if I might behold about me men of that class both guarding and bearing witness to my life, to whom I might safely impart my secrets, and communicate my plans; to whom I might pour out my heart as to a second self; who, if I wished to turn aside, would not allow me, would check me in my headlong course: would wake me out of my slumber; whose respectful freedom would check my pride and correct my error; whose constancy and courage would steady me when wavering, cheer me when desponding; whose faith and holiness would urge me on to whatsoever things are holy, whatsoever things are honourable, whatsoever things are modest, whatsoever things are lovely and of good report.' Now, my dear Eugenius, look once more at the present condition of the Court or Church, and the pursuits of the prelates, particularly of those who are about your person.
16. So far, so good. But I have only gently touched the wall, I have not dug into it.4 You may dig and see, like the son of the prophet. I must not go farther. One obvious remark I will make. Your attendants ridiculously endeavour to take precedence of their fellow presbyters. This is contrary to reason, to antiquity, and to the general consent of authority. And if trickery works, as is commonly the case, its own downfall, surely better this than that the highest order be despised. However that may be, their chief plea in defence of their ambitious efforts is very absurd. 'We', say they, 'are those who at every function are more closely associated with our master, the Holy Father; when he sits, we sit nearest to him; when he goes in procession, we follow next to him.' All this is not a privilege accorded to rank, but a debt due from assiduous service ; through the very formalities of service the work gives meaning to the name of 'deacon'. In short, while the presbyters in ordered session surround the throne, ye deacons stand at the foot. Ye stand near that your master may have you in greater readiness. In the Gospels we read that 'there arose a strife among the disciples as to which of them might seem to be the greatest'.5 You would be happy, Eugenius, if the rest of the things around you could be controlled after the same pattern.6